Farm friends are like a second family for me. Since I spend so much time at the farm I feel like I’m always in touch with what is going on in everyone’s lives, and they are with mine. We’re a pretty chatty group, and we share a lot of personal stuff. I think I feel so comfortable and open around them because they aren’t a critical bunch. We constantly watch each other’s back, both inside and out of the ring.
I can’t remember a time when I felt like I was in competition with my barn mates, even on a show day. It’s more of an all for one, one for all, kind of situation, the way I think a family operates. I think Veronica deserves the credit for this attitude. She doesn’t tolerate cliques, and keeps things very simple. We are all expected to pull our weight evenly, from the youngest to the oldest. There are no exceptions. Even the physically and mentally challenged riders are given tasks they are expected to complete.
Similar to an extended family, my farm family includes so many people that if one of us needs help with a problem, like fixing a car for instance, there will be someone among us that will probably have the tools and knowledge to fix it. When someone’s horse is sick, it goes without saying that if you are at the farm, you’ll check in on their horse and send the owner a text to let them know how it’s doing.
I don’t want to imagine my life without all these people in it. I don’t think I’ll have to worry about that though, because even friends who have graduated and gone away to college, or others who have moved away, keep in touch by phone or by visiting us. We find a way to stay connected just like a real family.
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